Nigerian Woman Details Encounter with Ghanaian Airport Authorities Who Barred Her From Flying to Venezuela, Claiming Her Visa Issued in Abuja Was Fraudulent

Despite possessing a valid Venezuelan visa, she was prevented from boarding her flight by Turkish Airlines staff and subsequently detained by officials from the Ghana Immigration Service.

Taiwo, who had spent approximately N4 million on her nursing council registration in Barbados, needed to appear in Venezuela in person following a formal invitation. She applied for her Venezuelan visa at the country's embassy in Abuja and received it on March 27th, planning to fly on March 29th. Due to significant price differences in airfare—$2000 from Nigeria compared to around $1000 from Ghana—Taiwo decided it would be more economical to travel from Ghana.

However, when she was about to board the flight at Kotoka International Airport, she encountered unexpected accusations from Turkish Airlines’ staff. They claimed that her visa was fraudulently obtained. Instead of verifying this claim, Ghanaian immigration officials detained her, causing her to miss her flight.

Taiwo explained to the officials and the airline staff that she had personally visited the Venezuelan embassy in Abuja to obtain her visa, not using any agents. She presented evidence, including photos of herself at the embassy, to support her claims. Despite her efforts, the Ghanaian officials cited a general distrust of documents issued from Nigeria, asserting that many such documents turned out to be fraudulent, which influenced their decision to prevent her from boarding.

Supporting his wife's account, Boboye Awolafolajin, Taiwo’s husband, emphasized the financial rationale behind their decision to fly from Ghana. He explained that the unstable Dollar-Naira exchange rate made the cost of flights from Nigeria prohibitively expensive. He recounted how, upon Taiwo’s arrival at Accra airport, the Turkish Airlines staff during check-in accused her of having a fake Venezuelan visa. When she protested and showed evidence of her legitimate visa, she was handed over to the Ghana Immigration Service and taken to a fraud laboratory for further interrogation.

Boboye stressed that despite Taiwo's efforts to prove the authenticity of her visa, including suggesting that they confirm its validity with the Venezuelan embassy in Abuja, the authorities at the airport remained unconvinced. This misunderstanding and lack of thorough verification led to Taiwo being unable to proceed to Venezuela as planned. The couple is now seeking assistance, maintaining that Taiwo is not a fraudster and that her travel documents are indeed valid.

This situation underscores the challenges and misunderstandings that can arise in international travel, particularly when accusations of document fraud are prematurely leveled without sufficient investigation. The couple hopes for a resolution that acknowledges the legitimacy of Taiwo’s travel documents and permits her to continue her professional and personal plans abroad.